Of someone who was complaining about being unable to obtain enlightenment, Ramana Maharshi said, "He is concentrating on the reflection and complains that he cannot see the original." This is of course the common human condition. Fortunately, few are concerned with this and lead beautifully ignorant lives.
Anyone reading this blog is not likely to be such a one. You are, I am sure, quite knowledgeable of the fact that you are awareness and not the reflection. Ramana referred to the Self as the I-I. For a long time I thought that was some mysterious mystical thing, or perhaps a miss use of language.
It seems however that Ramana was simply showing that duality was only apparent; that reality was non dual. The I-I refers to the ultimate reality and the reflection of that in the person. Perhaps it might be better stated as I-i. But that would then indicate a difference where there really isn't one.
The other night I was dreaming and got really bored. I just couldn't listen to another word that was being said. I laid my head down and fell asleep. I was immediately awake in my bed. This really left an impression on me. I kept saying to myself, "You fell asleep in your dream and you woke up!" I had never had this experience before. I was far more familiar with going to sleep and dreaming. It never occurred to me that if I went to sleep in a dream I would wake up. It was rather stunning.
In a dream last night I picked up a book and realized it was my autobiography. I was surprised to see that it was complete and in print. The thought crossed my mind that my publisher would want to know, and would want to promote it. But I had no inclination to do so. I did not want to contact the publisher, nor did I need to make money from it. The completion was real, There was nothing more to be done. It was complete! Complete is complete, and there was nothing more I wanted from it.
It might be interesting here to note that my dreaming has increased significantly since I started doing T'ai Chi Chih. I thought I was just getting into a light physical exercise, but T'ai Chi Chih is about enlightenment. It is about opening and balancing the Chi. T'ai Chi Chih means Ultimate Supreme Knowledge. Rather synchronous with my life for the last thirty years.
Apparently moving and balancing the vital force affects the mind. How could it not? The mind affects the body, why not the reverse? I suspect that as blocked energy channels opened and energy flowed in new ways, old channels in the mind had to move as well. To deal with the change in flow, my subconscious seems to have gotten really busy catching up.
Interesting times.
Anyone reading this blog is not likely to be such a one. You are, I am sure, quite knowledgeable of the fact that you are awareness and not the reflection. Ramana referred to the Self as the I-I. For a long time I thought that was some mysterious mystical thing, or perhaps a miss use of language.
It seems however that Ramana was simply showing that duality was only apparent; that reality was non dual. The I-I refers to the ultimate reality and the reflection of that in the person. Perhaps it might be better stated as I-i. But that would then indicate a difference where there really isn't one.
The other night I was dreaming and got really bored. I just couldn't listen to another word that was being said. I laid my head down and fell asleep. I was immediately awake in my bed. This really left an impression on me. I kept saying to myself, "You fell asleep in your dream and you woke up!" I had never had this experience before. I was far more familiar with going to sleep and dreaming. It never occurred to me that if I went to sleep in a dream I would wake up. It was rather stunning.
In a dream last night I picked up a book and realized it was my autobiography. I was surprised to see that it was complete and in print. The thought crossed my mind that my publisher would want to know, and would want to promote it. But I had no inclination to do so. I did not want to contact the publisher, nor did I need to make money from it. The completion was real, There was nothing more to be done. It was complete! Complete is complete, and there was nothing more I wanted from it.
It might be interesting here to note that my dreaming has increased significantly since I started doing T'ai Chi Chih. I thought I was just getting into a light physical exercise, but T'ai Chi Chih is about enlightenment. It is about opening and balancing the Chi. T'ai Chi Chih means Ultimate Supreme Knowledge. Rather synchronous with my life for the last thirty years.
Apparently moving and balancing the vital force affects the mind. How could it not? The mind affects the body, why not the reverse? I suspect that as blocked energy channels opened and energy flowed in new ways, old channels in the mind had to move as well. To deal with the change in flow, my subconscious seems to have gotten really busy catching up.
Interesting times.
